Filling machine for aerated mineral water siphon bottles



Nov. 19,1935. L. E. COWEY "2,021,543

FILLING MACHINE FOR AERATED MINERAL WATER SIPHON BOTTLES Filed Sept. 28, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet l Attomgy Nov. 19, 1935. L. E. COWEY 2,021,543

FILLING MACHINE FOR AERATED MINERAL WATER SIPHON BOTTLES Filed Se t. 28, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 n in 8412 I I hr 7 2 51 10 p 3g (1 (1 v i 40a -104 108 w 100 Mm L, E. COWEY 2,021,543

FILLING MACHINE FOR AERATED MINERAL WATER SIPHON BOTTLES Nov. 19, 1935.

5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I Filed Sept. 28, 1954 L. ran/15K Nov. 19, 1935. E, cow Y 2,021,543

FILLING MACHINE FOR AERATED MINERAL WATER SIPHON BOTTLES Filed Sept. 28, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 A t 120mg.

Nov 19, 1935. L E, OWEY 2,021,543

FILLING MACHINE FOR AERATED MINERAL WATER SIPHON BOTTLES Filed Sept. 28, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 fizz/enter.

LELOWEX 3 W J Attomgq.

Patented Nov. 19, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FILLING MACHINE FOR AERATED MINERAL WATER SIPHON BOTTLES In Great Britain 6 Claims.

simplify and improve the construction of such filling machines and increase the efficiency and safety thereof.

According to this invention, a rotary machine for filling siphon bottles and like containers with aerated liquids under pressure comprises filling and shifting valves that are connected to a plurality of filling heads, each of which is adapted for connection to a siphon bottle or like container so as to maintain the latter in constant communication with the filling and snifting valves, which are common to all the filling heads and are mounted so that they can rotate relatively to a series of controlling cams by which such filling and shifting valves are alternately operated so that the siphon bottles or other containers are progressively filled and snifted as the machine rotates.

The filling valve of the machine controls the supply of aerated liquid under pressure to the several filling heads, and the snifting valve is connected to an adjustable outlet valve or to a suitable counter-pressure chamber, while the filling heads of the machine are arranged in combination with holders that are adapted to receive the heads of inverted siphon bottles and to automatically engage the spouts or nozzles of such siphon heads with the filling heads of the machine so that the siphon bottles or other containers are progressively filled and snifted as the machine rotates.

35 The invention is more particularly described and ascertained in the following description and appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein similar references indicate like parts.

Fig. 1 is a fragmental sectional elevation of a rotary filling machine for siphon bottles constructed in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 1a is a vertical section illustrating the lower bearing of the main shaft of the machine, presently referred to; Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view on the line 2-2 Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on an enlarged scale illustrating the filling and snifting valves and parts assoiated therewith; Fig. 4 is a detail sectional plan view on the line 4-4 Fig. 1 and drawn to an enlarged scale further illustrating the cams for con trolling the filling and shifting valves and the connections of the latter.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of one of the filling heads of the machine and the siphon bottle September 29, 19-33 holder associated therewith showing the position of such parts when a siphon bottle is held in operative engagement with the filling head; Fig. 6 is a similar detail View showing the relative positions of the filling head and its associated siphon bottle holder when the bottle is released from engagement with the filling head; Fig. '7 is a plan view drawn to an enlarged scale further illustrating the. construction of one of the siphon bottle holders; Fig. 8 is a detail view in plan on the line 88 Fig. 1 illustrating the driving gear by which the machine is operated; Fig. 9 is a detail view in section illustrating the arrangement of the pulleys 95 and 96 and the slip clutch, and Fig. 10 a detail sectional view illustrating one application of a counter-pressure chamber to the machine. As shown, the machine frame comprises a table I centrally perforated at 2 and secured by bolts and nuts 3 to brackets 4 mounted on vertical pillars 5, which pillars are secured together at the bottom by angle irons ties 6, and at the top by an annular plate 1, the ties 6 and plates I being respectively secured by bolts 60. and la to brackets 61) and lb mounted on the pillars 5.

A vertical shaft 8 is rotaably mounted on ball bearings 9 on the table I and carries at its upper end a tubular extension l0 furnished with diametrically opposed. tubular radial arms H and i2 in which are mounted the filling and snifting valves of the machine, while the lower end of the shaft 8 passes through the central aperture 2 of the table I and is connected to the driving gear of the machine as presently described.

The lower end of the tubular extension is sealed by a plug as indicated at Ella, and is furnished with a perforated external flange 10b which is bolted to a counterpart perforated flanged head 8a on the vertical shaft 8 so that the tubular extension rotates with such shaft. The upper end of the extension l0 runs on ball bearings l3 mounted in a tubular socket l8 in a dome-shaped bridge I9 provided with a perforated peripheral flange l9a. by which it is bolted to the annular plate I of the machine frame in axial alignment with the central aperture 2 of the table I.

The ball bearings l3 are mounted between races [4 and [5 carried on the extension l0 and in the socket I8 respectively. The race I4 is retained on the tubular extension between flanged collars Ma and Mb mounted upon such extension, while the race I5 is retained in the socket l8 between a packing l5a. in the lower end of the socket and a sleeve I 6 that is secured in the upper part of the socket by a centrally perforated plate I! that forms a cover for the socket l8 of the bridge piece and fits flush in a recess Na in the upper surface of such bridge piece as shown at Fig. 3.

The upper end of the tubular extension I passes through the perforated cover plate I! on the bridge piece and is provided with a gland 2G and a hat leather 2| so as to make a fluid tight running joint with a tubular coupling 22 adapted for connection to a supply of aerated liquid under pressure. The coupling 22 is retained in position by a perforated locking plate 23 detachably secured by screws 23a. to a perforated guide plate 24 carried by bolts 25 secured to the bridge piece 19.

The radial arm ll of the tubular extension [0 forms a housing for the filling valve 26 and for the shifting valve 2?, each of which valves is mounted upon the end of a corresponding spindie. The filling valve 26 controls an inlet port i la by which the radial arm l is connected with the bore of the tubular extension if such inlet valve is mounted on the reduced and 28a of a spindle 28 that is slidably mounted in the opposite radial arm 22 and works fluid tight through a packing 29, and a gland 3t screwed in the outer end of the radial arm l2. The shifting valve 2! is mounted on the reduced end Zia of a spindle Z'ib so as to control the inlet port 39a of a gas chamber 39b which is secured in the outer end of the radial arm H by a coupling nut 23! so that such gas chamber forms an extension of the radial arm i i. The gas chamber 361) is furnished with an outlet port 300 (see Figs. 3 and 4) and is provided with a packing 32 and a gland 33 through which the end of the shifting valve spindle works fluid tight.

The filling valve 26 and the shifting valve 21 are both controlled by the coil spring 260. by which such valves are normally held closed.

The glands 38 and 33 of the filling and shifting valves each terminates in a socket 35 furnished with a recessed slidable plunger 36 that carries a cross pin 37 which respectively carry antifriction rollers 3.8 and 38a. The anti-friction rollers project through lateral slots 38b in their corresponding sockets and are each carried on the corresponding cross pin 3i together with a distance piece 39, arranged so that the anti-friction rollers 38 and 38a are respectively brought into operative engagement with two superimposed sets of cams lil and ll which are bolted to the annular plate I of the machine frame, as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4.

The anti-friction roller 38 is arranged to engage the upper series of cams iilthrough which is controlled the operation of the filling valve 26, while the anti-friction roller 38a is arranged on its cross pin 3'! so as to operably engage the lower series of cams 4! through which is controlled the snifting valve 21.

The radial arm ii is furnished with two laterally disposed outlet ports i ll) that are connected through pipes 22 to opposite sides of an annular header 43 by which the filling and snifting valves are connected to the several filling heads of the machine.

The-annular header 63 is arranged in a carrier frame consisting of centrally perforated upper and lower plates 44 and 45 which are mounted upon upper and lower flanged collars Ma and 45a secured to the vertical shaft 8, see Fig. 1,

and are connected by vertical rods 36 furnished with sleeves or distance pieces 45a that form supports for the annular header 43.

As indicated at Fig. 5 the annular header is of an angular cross section and comprises inclined external bosses 33a and an internal horizontal flange 43b and has an internal annular channel ll formed therein, which channel is furnished with a series of outlet passages 4111, each of which leads to a corresponding filling head as presently described.

The header is furnished with an annular closure 68 furnished with an internal fiange Ma, and with an annular packing G9 which is adapted to seat on the channelled annular surface of the header 43.

The vertical rods it pass through perforations in the internal flanges 43a and 438a of the annular header Z3 and its closure 48 respectively, so that such elements are supported by the sleeves or distance pieces 53a mounted upon such rods, as indicated at Figs. 1 and 5, while the annular closure 48 is secured fluid tight to the annular header 63 by bolts and nuts 56, as indicated at Figs. 1 and 2.

The annular header 43 carries the several filling heads of the machine that are all connected through such header to the filling and shifting valves. The filling heads are mounted in the perforations in the external bosses 53a of the annular header so that such filling heads are interconnected with the annular channel 3? of 'ie header by the passages lla.

Each filling head is carried by a cylindrical support 5i secured fiuid tight in an external boss 83a of the header by a nut 52 as shown at Fig. 5.

Each cylindrical support 51 comprises a tubular bore Elia, its lower end terminating in a solid extension 53 of reduced external diameter, while the bore is closed at each end and furnished with laterally disposed ports 54 and g The port Ed is connected with the corresponding passage lla in the annular header while the port 55 communicates with the cylindrical filling head 56 mounted upon the support 5|.

The cylindrical filling head is furnished at its inner end with a perforated cap 5? furnished with a sleeve 58 and a hat leather or other suitable packing 59 by means of which the filling head is slidably mounted together with a controlling spring Gil externally of the cylindrical support 51 between the boss 33a of the header and nuts (Sea screwed on to the externally threaded sleeve 58.

The reduced solid extension 53, of the support 5! passes through a central perforation in the lower end 55a of the filling head which latter is furnished with an extension 6| in which is mounted the nozzle piece 52 of the filling head. The'reduced extension 53 of the cylindrical support is provided'with external channels or grooves 58a and has a flanged head 531) secured thereon, against which the adjacent end of the slidably mounted filling head 56 is normally held by its controlling spring 66 so that such flanged head forms anabutment that co-operates with an annular seating piece 63 on the adjacent end of the filling head to form a valve which controls the supply of liquid through the outlet nozzle 62 of the filling head.

The outlet nozzle $2 is formed with an internally flared mouth that is furnished with a perforated packing 65 which forms a seat for the spout or nozzle of the head of a siphon bottle. or the like, as presently described.

The supports for the siphon bottle to be filled each comprises a pair of frames 65 and 66 which are pivotally mounted on supports 61 secured to the underside of the lower plate 45 of the carrier frame as shown at Figs. 1 and 5 so as to co-operate through rollers 68 and 69 with fixed cam tracks 16 and H mounted upon the supports 16:): and I la: carried by the table I of the machine.

The frames 65 and 66 are pivotally mounted one within the other upon a cross bar 12 secured at each end in the supports 61 as indicated at Fig. 7.

' The inner frame 65 is furnished at its outer end with a socket 13 that is lined with rubber or other suitable packing M and adapted to receive the head 75 of an inverted siphon bottle 16 as indicated at Figs. 5 and 6, such socket being slotted on opposite sides at 13c and 13b to accommodate the spout or nozzle 15a and also the valve lever 15b of the siphon head. The inner frame 65 is also furnished with two rollers 68 and 69 mounted at different levels one behind the other along the longitudinal axis of the frame as indicated at Figs. 5 and '7.

The front roller 68 journals upon a horizontal spindle 66a secured in and at right angles to a cross bar 681) of the inner frame so that the roller 68 can run upon the fixed cam track mounted upon the table of the machine.

The rear roller 69 is journalled upon the lower end of a vertically disposed spindle 69a mounted in a sleeve 6% that is carried by a horizontally disposed sleeve 69c pivotally mounted upon the cross bar 12 which carries the frames and controlled by springs 76 connected to the outer frame 66. The rear roller 69 is thus disposed at right angles to the front roller 68 and at a lower level so that it is held in engagement with the face of the second cam track H as indicated at Fig. 5.

The p-iv-otally mounted horizontal sleeve 690 is furnished with an annular tail piece 69d which is adapted to engage with the cross bar 66a of the outer frame 66, which crossbar is furnished with extensions 66b which carry the rear cross-'- bar 66d to which are attached the ends of the springs 16.

The outer frame 66 is dimensioned so as to project beyond the front of the inner frame 65, the projecting front of the outer frame being furnished with a crossbar 11 that carries a loosely mounted roller 38 arranged so as to register with the vertical slot 13b in the adjacent face of the socket 13 mounted on the inner frame.

The outer cam track 10 is formed with a drop section 76a. connected at each end by inwardly inclined sections 76b (see Fig. 1), while the cam track H is formed with a raised section Ha connected at each end by inwardly inclined sections lib to the main body of the cam track H.

The cam track ll has a smaller radius than the cam track 19 and is disposed at a lower level, while the two cam tracks are generally concentric except at their dropped and raised sections which are arranged at the receiving and delivery side of the machine; thus, as the rollers 68 and 69 follow the contours of the cam tracks-l6 and II, they allow the pivoted frames of the siphon holders to drop into the position indicated at Fig. 6 as the holder frames successively rotate past the delivery and receiving side of the machine so that the receiving socket i3 is outwardly inclined.

The siphon bottle to be filled is inverted and its head placed in the outwardly inclined socket 13 so that the spout a thereof projects through the slot 13a of the socket adjacent tothe nozzle 62 of the corresponding filling head 56, while the lever 15b of the siphon head projects through the slot 13b of the socket.

As the machine continues to rotate the inner frame 65 is raised by the outer cam track 16, thus bringing the socket 13 together with the inverted 5 the cam track TI on the roller 69 raises the outer 15 frame 66 by tensioning the springs T6 at the rear end thereof, and thus engages the roller 78 on the outer end of the frame 66 with the valve lever 15b of the siphon head, thus opening the siphon head valve so that the container is connected 20 through its siphon head and the filling head 56, header 43 and pipes 42 with the filling and snifting valves, the container being maintained in this position by the reaction of the cam tracks until the machine completes one revolution. As the machine rotates, the filling and snifting valves 26 and 21 are alternately operated by their controlling cams 40 and M so that each siphon is progressively charged with gas and with liquid,

and snifted, a certain amount of liquid being trapped in the lower end of each of the filling heads.

When the shifting valve is operated gas escapes from the siphon and bubbles through the liquid trapped in the filling head from which it escapes via the. header 43 and connecting pipes 42 to the snifting valve chamber and escapes past the open snifting valve to the outlet port 300 of the gas chamber 3% via the escape pipe em to an adjustable escape valve 89, (see Fig. 3). As shown, the escape valve is mounted on the upper carrier plate 44 and comprises a housing furnished'with an inlet chamber 8| that is furnished with an outlet valve 82 controlled by an adjustable spring 83. The inlet chamber is con- 45 nected to a pressure gauge 84, while the spring 83 is adjusted by means of a screwed rod 85 that works through a packing 66 arranged in the escape valve housing and is provided with a lock nut 81.

The tension of the spring 83 can thus be adjusted to allow the gas to escape past the outlet valve 82 at any required pressure, which is indicated by the gauge, the escaping gas passing off through an outlet 88.

As each siphon comes round to the delivery side 5 of the machine the contours of the cam tracks allow the carrier frames to fall into the: position indicated at Fig. 6 so disengaging the spout of the siphon head from the corresponding filling head, which latter is immediately returned by its controlling spring 66 against the flanged head 53b, so sealing the same, until another siphon is placed in the carrier and re -engaged with such filling head.

The filled siphon is removed from the carrier 75.

frame and an empty siphon is substituted there for as the machine rotates so that the cycle of operations is performed continuously. The rotatable shaft 8 which carries the moving elements on the machine as above described is furnished with a collar 82': by which it is supported on the ball bearings 23, such ball bearings being supported by a perforated plate is mounted in the central perforation 2 of the table I of the machine, while the bearings are housed in a flanged cover plate 91) mounted on the shaft 8 as indicated at Fig. la.

The lower end of the shaft 8 extends below the table I of the machine and is furnished with a worm wheel 98 which is secured thereon by a nut 95a screwed on to the lower end of the shaft 3 so as to clamp the wheel at against the sleeve mounted upon the lower end of the shaft 3 as indicated.

The worm wheel 9d gears with a worm 9! on a shaft 92 as indicated at Fig. 8. Such shaft 92 is mounted in a sleeve 53 secured by straps 535 to the underside of the table I of the machine, the outer end of the shaft beingfurnished with a loose pulley Q5 and a driving pulley es. The

riving pulley is connected through a friction clutch to the shaft t2, such driving gear being enclosed in a case B detachably mounted on the underside of the table l (see Fig. 1)

As illustrated at Fig. 9, the friction clutch cornprises fibre washers 95a and 9th mounted on opposite sides of the driving pulley $35 so that the washer Siia, bears against a metal disc 9'! on the shaft 92 while the fibre washer 96?) forms an. abutment for a. corrugated metal plate 91a on the opposite face of which a second fibre Washer 971) is arranged so as to receive the thrust of a. metal washer 98 which is seemed by a. nut 99 which screws on to an externally threaded sleeve 92a on the shaft By this arrangement the driving pulley at is frictionally secured to the shaft 92, the grip be-- ing regulated by the adjustment of the nut 99 on the shaft; thus, in the event of any obstruction occurring as the machine rotates, the driving pulley will slip relatively to the shaft 92 and thus greatly minimize the risk of accident to the machine.

I E35 indicates a belt striker which is conveniently mounted on the underside of the table l of the machine in guides indicated at it, and is connected to an operating lever I532 pivotally mounted to the underside of the table I.

If desired a counter-pressure chamber may be installed in the machine as illustrated at Fig. 10.. As shown, such chamber is comprised between two cylinders 563 and Hi l disposed concentrically between upper and lower centrally perforated plates E95 and ltd so as to form an annular countor-pressure chamber it? about a central bore N38.

The central aperture of the upper plate 565 is of less diameter than that of the inner cylinder m3 so that the inner periphery of the upper plateforms an internal flange i580, at the upper end of the central bore The counter-pressure chamber so formed is mounted upon the upper end of the rotatable vertical shaft 8 which passes through the cen tral bore H38 by clamping the flange ltda of the top plate 5553 between the flanged head So of the shaft 8 and the fiange Etb of tubular ex tension which elements are perforated for the passage of securing bolts tilt.

In this construction the escape pipe 3la, for

the snifted gas released by the operation of the snifting valve 21 is connected to an inlet pipe fill) of the counter pressure chamber instead of directly to an adjustable escape valve as above described with reference to Fig. 3, while the inlet chamber of an adjustable escape valve 8% similar to that illustrated at Fig. 3 is connected to the counter-pressure chamber so as to allow gas to escape from the latter when the internal pressure exceeds a pre-determined limit.

The carrier frame formed by the upper and lower plates 44 and 45 mounted upon the rotatable shaft of the machine may be furnished with radially disposed guards ill (see Figs. 1 and 2) arranged so that they are interposed between the several siphon bottles placed in the machine, while the machine frame may also be provided with a circular guard, not shown, that is adaptedto form a cage between the table l and the upper carrier plate 44, such guard being furnished with an opening throughwhich siphon bottles or the like vessels can be removed from and placed in the machine as the latter rotates.

The cams 4G for operating the filling valve 26 havea considerably larger stroke than the cams 45 which operate the snifting valve, such cams being mounted on the machine frame so that when one of the cams id for controlling the filling valve is engaged by the friction roller. the friction roller 38a on the shifting valve spindle -is free, and vice-versa, as indicated at Fig. 4.

The cams 453 and M may be interchanged for other cams according to the capacity of the siphon bottles to be filled with aerated liquid.

Thus, in the case of bottles or the like of large capacity, longer cams 40 for controlling the fiil- .ing valve 2f may be employed so as to hold such valve open for a longer period, and thus increase the volume of liquid admitted at each operation 40 holders for siphon bottles arranged in coopera- 5 'tive relation to said filling heads, means for operating said holders so as to engage the containers carried therein with the corresponding filling heads thereby maintaining the bottles in constant communi ation with said filling and shifting valve 'unit during each revolution of the machine.

2. In a rotary machine for filling siphon bottles, a frame, a centrally perforated table carried by .said frame, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted in said table, a tubular extension connected to said shaft and having radial arms, filling and shifting valves located in the arms of said extension, said valves having spindles projecting through the ends of said arms, a spring cooperating to close said valves, a series of cams for each spindle, said cams being mounted on said frame, said spindles cooperating with alternate cams, a header on said shaft, connections between said filling and shifting valves and said header, a pluraiity of ,spring controlled valved filling heads, connections between said heads and said header, a plurality of holders corresponding to said filling heads, supports on said shaft, means pivotally mounting said holders on said supports, each of said holders including a slotted socket for carrying a head of an inverted siphon bottle, rollers for each pivotally mounted holder, a cam track on said table cooperating with said rollers for raising the holders and operatively engaging the heads of the siphon bottles with the spring controlled filler heads so as to maintain the bottles in constant communication with the filling and snifting valves through the header and the filling heads connected with the header.

3. In a rotary machine for filling siphon bottles, a plurality of filling head units, a single filling valve and snifting valve unit common to all filling head units; said filling head units each comprising a relatively fixed support, a filling head slidably mounted on said support, said support and said head having cooperating valve elements constituting a shut-off, a spring operating on said head and said support to keep said valve elements in the shut off position; a plurality of siphon bottle holders pivotally mounted on the machine, one for each filling head unit to cooperate therewith and means to pivot said holders to effect an engagement between the siphon bottles heads and said filling heads, and to effect movement of said filling heads to open the shut-off valve elements thereof.

l. In a siphon bottle filling machine, a filling valve and a shifting valve unit, a plurality of filling heads cooperating with said unit, cams for actuating the filling and shifting valves of said unit, a plurality of holders for cvarrying siphon bottles, there being one holder for each filling head, said holders each comprising a bottlehead receiving socket, two frames pivotally mounted one inside the other, the inner frame carrying said socket, two rollers carried by the inner frame one being fixedly mounted thereon and the other pivotally and yieldably mounted thereon, cam tracks with which said rollers engage for raising and lowering said frames during the rotation of the machine, said outer frame being constructed slidably to engage the valve lever of the siphon head mounted in the adjacent socket so as to open the siphon valve during the rotation of the-machine.

5. In a rotary machine for filling siphon bottles, a plurality of filling head units inter- 5 connected with each other through a header, a single filling valve and snifting valve unit connected through said header to all the filling head units, said filling head units each comprising a relatively fixed support, a filling head slidably mounted on said support, said support and said head having cooperating valve elements constituting a shut-off, a spring operating on said head and said support to keep said valve elements in the shut-off position; a plurality of 15. siphon bottle holders pivotally mounted on the machine, one for each filling head unit to cooperate therewith, and means to pivot said holders to effect an engagement between the siphon bottles heads and said filling heads, and to effect movemerit of said filling heads to open the shut-off valve elements thereof.

6. In a rotary machine for filling siphon bottles, a filling valve and a snifting valve unit, a plurality of filling heads cooperating through a header with said unit, a plurality of holders for carrying siphon bottles, there being one holder for each filling head, said holders each comprising a bottle-head receiving socket, two frames pivotally mounted one inside the other, the inner frame carrying said socket, two rollers carried by the inner frame, one being fixedly mounted thereon, and the other pivotally and yieldaloly mounted thereon, cam tracks with which said rollers engage, for raising such frames so as to engage the inverted bottles heads with the corresponding filling heads and hold the bottles upright, said cam tracks cooperating in said frames, so as to lower the latter and cant the bottles outwards from the machine as the heads of the latter are successively released from the filling heads, said outer frame being adapted to engage the valve lever of the siphon head mounted in the adjacent socket so as to open the siphon valve when the frames are raised by said cam tracks.

LEONARD EUGENE COWEY. 

